Make way for better days

Not going to say very much. It's been awhile since I've written anything and wanting to keep

the account active I'll just say RIP to MJ,Obama crank up the stimulus for the people most

needing it and cut privatization and save public services.

They pave paradise-to put up a parking lot

Monument vs Real Landmark

After a while lil girl, big dog and mom start heading back to the otherside of the monument.
I get to look into the entranceway of the doric column- through the window grating in the door. And there as big a life is the step ladder leading up to the top of the monument and nothing more. No bodies,no ghosts or coffins just a step ladder. The bodies are in a crypt a few steps below the monument on this site. I head around to the other side of the monument
where lil girl,big dog and mom seem to have made their camp while stripping bark off a fallen
tree limb.

Time to head down to the street that once had the title "murder ave"(myrtle ave)
which leads to duffield street where the original abolitionist houses that assisted slaves in
the UNDERGROUND RAILROAD are being demolished to put up a parking lot. What's the
deciding factor in what becomes a monument/memorial? $ money?

Sally Hemings Children

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

What is the story with Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson?

What became of the children?

Sally was a young female slave "companion " of Thomas Jefferson after his wife died. It's said to have been a long relationship. DNA testing has supported the weight of history evidence pointing to a long relationship and conclusion that Jefferson was the father to six mixed-race children. Jefferson freed all of them at age 21. The entire Hemings nucleus family left Monticello as free persons after Jefferson's death.

Can we be sure President Obama is the first black president of the United States of America?

I'm just wondering as I stand on this high elevation-breathing the rarified air

Black History ?

Where are the people of color?

While I'm waiting for lil girl to get over her tantrum for dropping her icy stick
I'll reflect on the history of this place. This was a major escape route for George Washington's retreat from the british seige. Ft.Greene named after
Gen. Nathaniel Greene is the site of the Prison Ship Martyrs memorial. The captured patriots were imprisoned on decommissioned British ships moored in Wallabout Bay. Many of the bodies buried by the shores were washed up as
bones on the shores. Walt Whitman was instrumental in building a memorial
and crypt in this park. This is the second highest Brooklyn elevation and the view is marvelous. Across the street -Myrtle Ave-you see the Whitman and Ingersoll Houses.
Past the Houses you see the BQE and past that there's the brooklyn Navy Yard,Wallabout Bay
and a view of the Manhattan skyline. Then further down the street you see the many towering condos being build around the downtown MetroTech area. Reminds me of the Wall the Dutch
built in Manhattan to keep out the Natives. A new Wall Street in the making. What happens to
the natives? Tell me Carter G.

Different strokes for different folks

I remember some of the titles Richard Wright penned; Black Boy, Native Son, Uncle Tom's
Children. I particularly remember the character named Bigger Thomas in Native Son though
I think I'm confusing his charater for the one in the Invisible Man. I know both characters deal
with racial issues and each did it in there own unique way. Each dealt with the pervasive issue
in a fictionalized manner,quite differently than than the autobiographical tomes of Barack Obama as if you could say that he has dealt with racist constructs in the same manner as Richard Wright and Ralph Ellison. After ponder on this a bit I decide to move on to Martyr's
Monument directly in front of the bench. Memorial Day is right around the corner, how convient.

Just before reaching the Monument grated window to take a peek a little girl,big dog and Mom come around the short pedastal corner little girl dashing in the lead just in front of grated window door. I'm going to have to wait a bit before I can get a peek.

Still I rise

As I climbed the mountain across the street all the aches and pains I've been feeling all week
was coming to a head. It was a particularly bad week health wise but I'm not one to stay down
for too long, so I took a seat on the bench for a moment and then continue on. As I continue up the mountain I'm seeing the reds, yellows and blues of the flowers that are scattered about and begin to feel alot better. Go past the tennis courts ,past the kids playing ball I take a seat under a cluster of beautiful Maidenhead trees. Suddenly It's like I'm transported to another place.
Soothing, calmed I sit contemplating where I'm at and as I sit on this two foot wall I notice a bench
in front of me. I get up to sit on the bench and see a plaque. The plaque states the bench is a donation dedicated to Richard Wright. Wow, what a strange place to meet up with a memorial
of a noted black writer. Sankofa.

A weekend ago when the weather was warm I was able to help a man how had injured his
arm and was having a difficult time howing his plot in the local community garden. He gave me this tool that had an s-shaped handle and prongs on the bottom it was a tool specifically for hoeing. I've tilled land before and use picks shovels and spades but never this instrument. It
made the whole process so much easier. Its amazing how essential it is to have the right equip-
ment and in good working order to achieve the best results. It's fundamental and the same principles exists in relation to body and mind. Take time to customize body and mind. Provide
a variety of experiences and exercises of things you don't normally explore and the same ease
I experienced working the garden can be going on in other areas of life.

More people are talking about a shift in lifestyle from aggressive/competitive to more relaxed
and reflective. This can be a very furtive time for everyone because alot of the didactive,
repeative mindsets that say it's all about profits is being challenged and proven non-effective in
the long run. More people are risking trying new small business ventures and thinking differently how they obtain and select the foods they eat.

Again I say if you have the space I have the experience. holla!

Update on Google--It seems there was a class action suit by authors and publisher claiming
Google has violated their copyrights.

Exploring new worlds-one blog at a time

The last post Blogging Class/Don't sleep on it--got a little out of hand --trying to embed photo
and video for the first time,forgive me. But the essence of what I was trying to portray is that
while trying to empower yourself don't forget to take the time to stop and smell the flowers, get
a different perspective on life.

When watching the video of Googles -Mind Maps the blogging class discovered the originator
of Mind Maps -Tony Buzan had a video about learning and how creativity is not being utilized
for opitmal learning in the classroom. I started to do a little reading about learning and the mind. There are a number of mind enhancing kits on the market and checking some of the reviews most of the kits programs are to confusing and therefore not giving the reviewer
good results. From what I can see the same basic stimulus could be achieved from crossword-
puzzles and other inexpensive games.

There were articles about how different enviorments can enhance learning like when Dr Sulk
entered a cavernous room with high ceiling sparked his ideas for the polio vaccine. There was
another article about just getting out into an park-like are can really enable you to break through creative thinking blocks. Its about perspective/getting out of the box. Public spaces and
public places forever.

My other concern in that last blog was the NYPL system and how I could become not so public.
I heard some disturbing news about Google dominating the virtual books domain and has some
Library official quite upset. Still investigating that get back to you on that.

blogging class-don't sleep on it

4/11/09

Today I want to talk about Five Great Locales in Brooklyn most bloggers don't talk about and most people in general sleep on.


-local library or boro main library

-local museum or Brooklyn Museum on 1st

Saturdays of the month

-local trees and shrubs or Brooklyn Botanical Gardens on free Tuesday.




-local community garden or Farmers Market

-local park or Prospect Park


I woke early this morning so I could see alot of the Great Brooklyn Locales today. As I stepped

out of the building it was pouring and the new flowers and blossoms that were so alluring at the

start of the week wasn't so inviting now so I hurried to the local library. When I got to the library I was pretty wet and it looked like it was going to rain for the whole day so I loosened

my wet clothing went to one of the 2 comfortable chairs in the library. I decided I'd camp out

in the chair instead of getting drenched hanging out in the park. The library was dominated

by teen youth jocking for the library computers because they only get 2 twenty minute session

a day on the computers. I watched how they swapped library cards and codes to maximize

computer usage so they could be entertained. It seemed ashame with all the new and classical

resource materials available nobody was utilizing the library shelfs and tables except to social

between computer sessions. I just watched and penned this draft blog.


I'm afraid because of all the virtual activity and little shelf activity access to shelf materials

will be greatly restricted if not cancelled. This with public school materials diminished and

higher education cost so prohibitive will cause a great hinderance to independent learning

and leisure events. Check all your local library resources. Virtual is nice but there's nothing

like having real resources and events. Don't sleep on it.

posting 5/22/09 I had some space I couldn't get rid of from the last post, so here a continuation
on the topic of libraries. My neighborhood library and I understand many other Brooklyn Libraries will be closing for the whole weekend. This will not only impact on neighborhood residents who only have the weekends to browse the shelves--somewhat antiquated term
these days in light of virtualtizing the libraries, but will mean layoffs of library staff. I figure
they'll shift staff members around in the system for awhile like they did the token booth clerks
there laying off by the end of the month.

I expect alot devistating changes to begin next month. Postage rates increase and service decreases. Transit fare increases and service decreases. Rent Guideline increases and service
decreases for the individual.

A new way of working this world to work better for the masses is needed. I say back to the land
and back to basic common sense. That's I thing that can't be readily replaced by a robot. Contact me. //Update: Libraries and Google

How we'll get over

I expect to do three posts with e-mails relating to the posts to generate new
traffic. Topics will be on starting a produce garden,places of interest around
the neighborhood that most bloggers leave out and wisdom squared since that's
the general direction I was going when I started months ago.

Give a man a fish he'll eat for a day
Teach a man to fish he'll eat forever

No good prospects for employment. Worried about how you're going feed your-
self and family nutritious meals. Learn how to grow your own fruits and veg-
gies for pennies to start. When I had the outdoor space I was in heaven. Every-
thing came out so good looking and taste even better. If you have the space I
have the experience. Let's get doing this thing.